Event Descriptions

East Coast Collegiate Karate Union(ECCKU) Tournaments are held on Saturdays throughout the school year. All members
of collegiate clubs are welcome to compete, including beginner and intermediate students. Competitions consist
of individual kata and kumite sections, plus team events. Beginners and intermediate students perform kihon
ippon kumite, or basic one step sparring. Advanced students (brown and black belts) perform shobu ippon
kumite, or a scored free sparring match. The emphasis in tournaments is to train hard leading up to a
competition and perform at a personal best for the tournament - it doesn't matter whether you win or lose because
we simply see it as extra training!

The Involvement Fair is held in the HUB Alumni Hall during the Fall and Spring semesters. The fair is a
great way to generate interest in the Shotokan Club and get more folks into karate training.
The fair usually runs about 5 hours, but volunteers from the club only need to help at the table when
they are available - even an hour's work is appreciated! All you have to do is keep each other company
at the Shotokan table, hand out a few flyers to advertise the club, and explain what our karate training
is like to curious students. You don't have to be highly experienced to help out - often a beginner
can provide the best insight into what the club will be like for a prospective member. Come support
the club, help spread Shotokan karate, and get new faces in to train with!

Collegiate camp is a great training opportunity at low cost. It consists of a weekend of training with other
collegiate club members under some of the highest ranking instructors involved in the ECCKU (6th and 7th dans with
about 30-40 years of karate experience). The weekend finishes with a collegiate tournament
on Sunday afternoon. The cost for the weekend is usually about $5 to cover pizza after the tournament, plus
any travel expenses.

Master Camp is a phenomenal training opportunity in early June each year. Every year, ISKF brings in famous overseas
instructors that represent the most experienced living Shotokan exponents from around the world. Recent guest
instructors have included Senseis Ochi(Germany) and Kanazawa(Japan), and each year the ISKF region heads and Sensei
Okazaki return to instruct as well. Fall Camp is a regional version of Master camp with the highest ranked
instructors from the East Coast, including Sensei Okazaki, plus many excellent 6th and 7th dan instructors from our
region. "Campers" spend their time in intense training(3 per day) living in rustic cabins and eating at a communal
mess hall at a summer camp north of Philadelphia, PA. These camps can are a fun experience and a great boost to
your karate training!

Beginner days are scheduled at the beginning of each semester to acclimate new members
or any interested students to what karate training is all about. Each Beginner Days session
starts with a demonstration of the core elements of karate training, followed by a basic
lesson catered to novice karate students. We encourage prospective members to attend a
Beginner Days session to get a feel for karate training and get a smooth start in the
training sessions, but anyone can join the club at any point during the semester.